Please Come to Boston
by samanddianefan10
Summary: Sam is alone on Christmas and his thoughts turn to Diane. What happens when he decides to follow his heart. Christmas fic, set 1 year post One For the Road.


**A/n: This song was inspired by the song of the same name, Please come to Boston by Kenny Chesney. Anyone that is familiar with my work knows that 90% of my work is inspired by my music and videos so as soon as I heard this song today for the first time today you know who I thought of naturally. I haven't forgotten about Sam and Diane…I just had some continuing stories that I've been working on but as I've finished one of them I may be back with some more S&D stories. Thanks for reading. Also I have to thank Andrea, whose fabulous Frasier/Cheers crossover had gotten me excited about doing a Cheers story again. Thanks A!**

It was a year after Sam had last seen her, and she had often crossed his mind. What was she doing, where had she been, who was she with? The last question particularly bothered him. He knew it was a real possibility that Diane had remarried by now, especially since she had been so willing to marry him the last time they had run into each other. Maybe that was where she was at in life; it was certainly where he was at. He'd been thinking about marriage a lot. He had dug out the ring that he'd given Diane a long time ago and looked at it now and then, thinking about all of the memories it brought with it. Maybe it wasn't the more expensive of the two rings he'd gotten her, but it was the better of the two. His heart was in it, and there was history in it that time could not erase, no matter how hard he'd tried to. Some things time just could not take away from him. He'd lost his bar before, his baseball career had faded away less than gloriously, but he'd always have the biggest regret of his life, and her name was Diane Chambers.

They tried to make it work many times, dozens , if not seemingly hundreds, but for whatever reason fate was not on their side. But no matter what they'd said to each other he always knew that he could win her back if he tried, if only he would try. But after this last time, after they said their goodbyes on the airplane, he knew he'd blown his chance. This time was final, it was goodbye, and there was no turning back. Sam knew that he could never hold Diane in his arms again, never kiss her lips again, never make love to her again- and the thought was killing him.

He pulled the ring out of his safe, where he kept his most prized possessions, and then pulled her picture out of his wallet. The photo had faded, but he'd never taken it out for very long. True, he'd gotten angry at her plenty of times and had felt like tearing the blasted thing up, but no matter how mad Diane had made him, he knew that he could never part with that simple photo. Maybe he was getting sentimental as he aged, and he knew he could never let Diane know that he still carried with him, but he knew he would carry it with him for the rest of his life. Whether that meant he would be alone until the day he died, or if it meant he would find his way back to Diane- well that was still to be determined.

0000

It was the night before Christmas, and he'd just left the Cheers annual party. He'd gotten his usual presents from the gang- hair combs, soap, cologne. He could count on the gang to know his likes and to be there to lift his spirits especially during the holiday season. But still, something was missing, and he didn't quite know what it was. Actually he did know what it was, but he just didn't want to admit it. Next to Diane, Sam was the most stubborn person he knew, and it would take a lot for him to admit that the one thing missing in his life was the one person he couldn't have- Diane.

Finally he couldn't stand it anymore. He threw some things together in a small bag and drove to the airport and boarded the first flight to Los Angeles that he could get. It was a small wait, and he drove himself crazy during the wait, but in his heart he knew it was something he had to do. He knew he would never sleep again unless he saw her face at least one more time. Maybe he would be rejected, maybe he would be laughed at, maybe she was with someone else, but Sam knew he would never be able to live with himself if he didn't at least take this chance.

He realized he needed an excuse for going there. It was Christmas, so he had to bring her a Christmas gift. He looked around and found a sweatshirt that read Boston. Perfect, he thought. He picked one up then returned to wait for his flight. She had to know she always had a home in Boston, whether she realized it or not.

Finally his plane landed and he got in the cab. He wasn't sure if he was a romantic or a lunatic, but his heart stopped when he arrived at her place. Maybe it wasn't too late to turn around. The porch light came on, so she knew someone was there. Reluctantly, Sam paid the driver and grabbed his things and walked towards the door.

Diane opened the door and ran to Sam, and they greeted each other with a warm embrace and a long kiss. Finally when they pulled away Diane laughed.

"I knew you'd be here. I knew it."

"You did? How? I didn't even know until a few hours ago," Sam replied, confused but exhilarated.

"I don't know how but I knew I wasn't going to be alone this Christmas. And it was you..you came back. I always knew you'd come back."

"Not exactly. Can I come in?"

"Sure," Diane opened the door and he looked around. It was definitely Diane's place. Neat and pristine and very feminine. He'd have to do something about all the girly stuff if they ever lived together.

"Diane…I didn't come here to live with you. Wait before I begin I brought you something. A Christmas gift. Merry Christmas Diane. I didn't want you to be alone today and I was thinking of you and I just..well, Boston is home to me but it just doesn't feel like home without you and I really want you to come home. You're in my past but I want you to be my present and my future. I guess I'm kind of like that Christmas movie. Only handsome," he laughed.

"Oh Sam, you made a literary reference," Diane also laughed. "I guess time really does change for some people."

"I don't know about all that but I know that some things haven't changed. I'm still crazy about you. I have never stopped loving you. I hear myself saying it and I hate myself for it but it's true. I've been with other chicks but none of them have ever meant to me what you have- and what you still do. What do you say, Diane- will you quit this crazy California business and come home to Boston where you belong?"

Diane wiped a tear from her eyes as she nodded. "Yes, Sam. I will go home with you. I always dreamt-but I never thought- I am speechless!"

"Well then you just gave me the best Christmas present ever," he laughed.

She playfully hit him on the arm. "Oh, Sam. You haven't changed, have you? You're still the little rascal you always were. But do you know something? I would not have you any other way. Merry Christmas, Sam Malone."

Sam pulled her close to him and looked her in the eyes before kissing her again, the way he'd been dreaming of for a long time. "Merry Christmas Diane. Welcome home."

The end


End file.
